GITA 11.2

GITA 11.2

In the Sri Vaishnava parampara, the last Acharya is Swami Manavala Mamunigal. He was born in an Aippasi [ஐப்பசி ] month, Moola [மூலம்] star. Swami Nampillai wrote a detailed commentary Eedu Muppathi Arayirappadi [ஈடு முப்பத்தி ஆராயிரப் படி], on Nammalwar's Thiruvalmozhi. Swami Manavala Mamunigal had the privilege of explaining in deatail the interpretation of this commentary, in the temple of Srirangam. Thus, Swami Manavala Mamunigal is praised as Acharya of Sri Ranganatha. Swami Manavala Mamunigal is glorified as the Avatar of Adisesha. Adisesha was born earlier as Lakshmana; then as Sri Balarama; then as Swami Ramanuja and, as Swami Manavala Mamunigal. His greatness can not be easily told. Upadesa Rathnamala, Thiruvaimozhi Nootrandhadi, Yatiraja vimsati, Arthiprabhandam,etc., are the works of him. Apart from these, he also wrote commentaries for Swami Pillai Lokacharya's Sri Vachana Bhooshanam, Tatva trayam, Acharya Hrudayam and Mumukshupadi. This Acharya was born in the same place as Nammalwar - Alwar Thirunagari. He grew up and lived in Srirangam. He was blessed with Sesha Peetam by Sri Ranganatha. This is important information. Swami Manavala Mamunigal was always seated in the Sesha Peetam, wherever he was. We came to enjoy thr glory of Adisesha, in Thiruvahindrapuram. We completed the worship of Lord Sri Devanatha. Outside the temple, in the North mada street, in a private temple is gracing Swami Manavala Mamunigal. Today's [29th September 2008] lecture is from that sannidhi.

With folded hands, he is gracing. We can see the Sesha Peetam also. The luminiscence of Adisesha is reflected in the idol of Swami Manavala Mamunigal. His fame is that he was Acharya of Sri Ranganatha and preached Him Eeedu and the interpretations of Thiruvaimozhi. He was an ascetic or sanyasi and remained detached from worldly affairs. He lived to serve. We can say Aippasi Moolam was glorified by him. In Aani Moolam [ஆனி மூலம்], he completed his lectures on Thiruvaimozhi. We are previleged to worship him. Compared to the Lord, we are negligible. We are fortunate to have Sanskrit and Tamil as two eyes for us to understand the Shastras. He has taught us to have faithful devotion to Alwars and Acharyas. In his Upadesa Rathnamala, he tells that we should seek the Divine feet of the Lord. But even before that we should seek the feet of Acharyas. The Lord is percievable easily, if we approach with the help of an Acharya. Without devotion to Acharya, any amount of devotion to the Lord, will not reach us to Moksham; in other words, devotion to Acharyas is enough to get anything. He says that by adhering to an Acharya well versed in Gyana and Anushtanam [ knowledge and practice], the Lord would grant anything we seek. There are astika, nastika and astika-nastika [ theist, atheist and theist-atheist]. Atheists could be identified and we can avoid them. We can also identify theists and associate with them. But in astika-nastika, it is difficult. They may agree with existance of God and also deny. They will talk one thing outside and another inside. He says that we should never follow nastika and astika-nastika. We should follow only astika. We should have that astika's quality. It means we should believe in His existence; His glory and eminence are true and what He preached are true. In Sanskrit asti means is or existing; and. from that, the word astika got derived. We should believe in His existence; in His greatness. He only protects us. He sustains us. In the path shown by Swami Manavala Mamunigal, we will see sloka 1 in Chapter 11:

arjuna uvaca
mad-anugrahaya paramam
guhyam adhyatma-samjnitam
yat tvayoktam vacas tena
moho ’yam vigato mama

"Arjuna said: By my hearing the instructions You have kindly given me about these most confidential spiritual subjects, my illusion has now been dispelled."

By three slokas Arjuna claims he was a devotee of Lord Sri Krishna, an Astika and faithful to Sri Krishna. Arjuna says gratefully, that his illusion was dispelled. Mad anugrahaya = to bless me [Arjuna], paramam = top most, guhyam = secret [that is not easily understandable or not easily instructible]. Adhyatma = about atman, samjitam = embedded, vaca = teachings. That is, the Lord has blessed Arjuna with important secrets incorporating atman. Tvayoktam = told by You [Sri Krishna], mama = my [Arjuna's], ayam = that [regarding atman], moha = illusion, vigata = dispelled. Arjuna tells that by the words of Sri Krishna on atman, all his illusion and confusion on atman were resolved. This sloka is not about Chapters 9 and 10. Arjuna starts to convey his gratitude for all teachings the Lord made right from the beginning. Now, Arjuna has reached a stage [to which he is transformed]. By conveying his devotion to the Lord, he proclaims he is an astika or theist, who believes in the existence of God and that He would do only good. Astika leads to Bhakti, which after maturing, reaches one to Moksham. We saw earlier that Bhakti was the only requirement to understand, see and reach the Lord. The desire to see Viswaroopam emanated from Bhakti, which is based on astika, which is based on belief. We have to be grateful to all good done. What is the good the Lord did to Arjuna? We have to start from Chapter 2. Arjuna says that in order to bless him [mad anugrahaya], the Lord had taken efforts. What type of Arjuna he was? He was totally confused. With no idea about soul, Arjuna was thinking that atman and body were one and the same. Swami Desika says that when Arjuna says that the Lord had blessed him [anugrahaya], it is evident that Arjuna is not talking about the War. It was incidental, to induce him in war; the main purpose was to dispel his confusion about atman. While showing the right path of Dharma, Arjuna was made to realize that fighting was his duty. Arjuna prayed to the Lord to consider him as His disciple and tell all about atman. Sometimes we are confused in some matters. At least if we realize we are in illusion, we could avoid sufferigs. But we do not realize and so we suffer. We take good people for bad and vice versa. But we never realize our confusion. Arjuna wanted to run away and avoid fight. But Sri Krishna, diagnosed Arjuna's proplem and starting from the sloka 12 of Chapter 2, the Lord told that atman was eternal, body might be born and get destroyed, but not atman; Karma yoga was important; Karma yoga itself would get atman sakshatkaram. So, Arjuna should become an Yogi; and the Lord taught how to practice Yoga, in detail. Sri Krishna sincerely and affectionately taught Arjuna. It was like teaching a child in school. Therefore, Arjuna felt that the Lord was kind enough to bless him with all such important teachings. All these, the Lord did, because Arjuna was His cousin. Was it not due to this reason, He agreed to be his charioteer? By listening to the very important teachings of Sri Krishna, Arjuna's illusion was dispelled. What did he learn? That atman and body were different, That, atman was the property of the Lord; that, atman was ruled and commanded by the Lord; that, atman behaved as decided by the Lord; that, atman existence was under the control of the Lord; that, origin, sustenance and destruction were all under His control; that, the Lord had atman as His body. So much Arjuna had learnt! We also have to repeatedly listen to Gita to reform ourselves. Arjuna is going to further pray the Lord to show him, His Divine Form - Viswaroopam. We should follow such astikas or theists. We will take leave of Swami Manavala Mamunigal. Recently, samprokshanam was performed. 

                                                                                                              (contnued)